Potato peel biochar: A sustainable material for the removal of pesticides and soil amendment for crop productivity

This study illustrated the removal of Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate pesticide, by potato peel biochar.Potato peel biochar was prepared using peels of potato collected from different points (canteens and housing complexes) at Haldia (West Bengal).In batch assay, the biochar adsorbed the chlorpyrifos on its surface almost 93% in 24 hours.The parameters (temperature, pH and biochar amount) were optimized by experiments.Results confirmed the effective removal of pesticide removal by biochar at 30 and 40C.The pH 4.5, 7.5 and 8.5 were best at both temperatures.Based on the optimization results and for broad application of the prepared biochar at various geographical regions, we selected pH 7.5 and 352C.Results showed maximum uptake of chlorpyrifos (5 mg/mL) using 10 mg biochar at pH 7.5 and 352C.Experiments on plant system, Vigna radiata showed enhanced seedlings' growth when the soil was amended with the prepared biochar.Biochar helps in pesticide removal and has essential minerals that help plant growth.Therefore, this study shows the potential use of this bacterium to help amend the soil for pesticide degradation and soil fertility enhancement.